15th Regiment Arkansas Infantry (Johnsons)
HISTORICAL NOTES:
The Arkansas 15th (Gee's-Johnson's) Infantry Regiment was organized at Camden, Arkansas during the late summer of 1861. Six companies were sent to the defense of Fort Henry, then were transferred to Fort Donelson and captured in February, 1862. When exchanged and reorganized, the regiment was assigned to Beall's Brigade, Department of Mississippi and East Louisiana. It fought in some minor engagements at Cross Landing, Greenfield, and Keller's Lane, and later became part of the garrison at Port Hudson where it was captured in July, 1863. This regiment sustained the highest number of casualties of any unit defending the post, eighty-one percent of the 484 engaged.
The officers remained in prison for the remainder of the war, while the enlisted men were paroled and sent west across the Mississippi River and exchanged. The remnant of the Fifteenth Arkansas Infantry served the remainder of the war in the Trans-Mississippi Theater. It was consolidated with survivors of the Nineteenth (Dockery’s) and Twentieth Arkansas Infantry regiments, captured and paroled from Vicksburg. This organization was designated as the Third Arkansas Consolidated Infantry. It was intended that the regiment be mounted, but only a small portion did so, serving in Brigadier General Thomas P. Dockery’s cavalry brigade, Fagan’s Division. The remaining dismounted portion served in the infantry regiment commanded by Colonel H. G. P. Williams.
The mounted portion of the Fifteenth Arkansas fought at the Action at Mount Elba in Arkansas on March 30, 1864. It next participated in fighting at Poison Spring on April 18, 1864, and Marks’ Mills on April 25. In October, it participated in Major General Sterling Price’s ill-fated Missouri Raid. No casualty reports are present for these engagements. The dismounted portion of the Third Consolidated Regiment fought at the Engagement at Jenkins’ Ferry on April 29–30, 1864. Commonly referred to as Williams Dismounted Casuals, the remnant of the Fifteenth in this unit fought on the extreme left flank of the Confederate lines, across Cox Creek, where it suffered numerous casualties. It was driven back by superior forces as it attempted to flank the Union lines engaged on the other side of the creek with the main Confederate force.
The remnant of the regiment saw no fighting for the remainder of the war and was stationed at Marshall, Texas, when General Kirby Smith surrendered the department on May 26, 1865. Ordered to Shreveport, Louisiana, to receive their paroles, the regiment did not report but simply disbanded without formally surrendering. Most individually journeyed to their homes, receiving their paroles at various locations along the way.
OFFICERS:
Colonels James M. Gee and Benjamin W. Johnson, Lieutenant Colonel P. Lynch Lee, and Major William E. Stewart
When reorganized, the following regimental officers were elected:
Colonel Benjamin Whitfield Johnson.
Lieutenant Colonel Paul Lynch Lee.
Major William E. Stewart.
Adjutant J. E. Baker.
ASSIGNMENTS:
Defense of Forth Henry
Beall's Brigade, Department of Mississippi and East Louisiana.
BATTLES:
Battle of Fort Henry
Battle of Fort Donelson
Siege of Port Hudson
ROSTER:
The roster of this unit contains the names of 918 men.
Company A – of Columbia County, commanded by Captain Samuel L. Proctor.
Company B – of Ouachita County, commanded by Captain Henry Purifoy.
Company C – of Ouachita County, commanded by Captain Robert Jordan.
Company D – of Union County, commanded by Captain Loderick W. Matthews.
Company E – of Columbia County, commanded by Captain William H. Perkinson.
Company F – of Lafayette County, commanded by Captain Alexander Byrne.
The soldiers of the regiment were declared exchanged in September 1862, and the regiment was reorganized at Jackson, Mississippi, on October 16, 1862 and assigned to Beall's Brigade, Department of Mississippi and East Louisiana.
At the reorganization in 1862, four Arkansas companies which had originally been assigned to the 40th Tennessee Infantry Regiment were added to the unit to give the legally required ten companies for a regiment. The companies were reorganized as follows:
Company A – originally organized as Company I, 40th Tennessee Infantry Regiment, commanded by John H. D. Stevenson.
Company B – originally organized as Company D, 40th Tennessee Infantry Regiment, commanded by Joseph A. Daniel.
Company C – originally organized as Company A, 15th (Gee's) Arkansas Infantry Regiment, commanded by James H. Franklin.
Company D – originally organized as Company G, 40th Tennessee Infantry Regiment, commanded by John C. Hubbard.
Company E – originally organized as Company F, 40th Tennessee Infantry Regiment, commanded by William Walker.
Company F – originally organized as Company B, 15th (Gee's) Arkansas Infantry Regiment, commanded by Edward C. Wilson.
Company G – originally organized as Company C, 15th (Gee's) Arkansas Infantry Regiment, commanded by Albert M. Reed.
Company H – originally organized as Company D, 15th (Gee's) Arkansas Infantry Regiment, commanded by Theophilus Wilkerson.
Company I – originally organized as Company E, 15th (Gee's) Arkansas Infantry Regiment, commanded by L. W. Matthews.
Company K – originally organized as Company F, 15th (Gee's) Arkansas Infantry Regiment, commanded by L.C. McClung.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
REFERENCES: REF: Encyclopedia of Arkansas
Wikipedia
Crute - Units of the Confederate States Army
Sifakis - Compendium of the Confederate Armies
The officers remained in prison for the remainder of the war, while the enlisted men were paroled and sent west across the Mississippi River and exchanged. The remnant of the Fifteenth Arkansas Infantry served the remainder of the war in the Trans-Mississippi Theater. It was consolidated with survivors of the Nineteenth (Dockery’s) and Twentieth Arkansas Infantry regiments, captured and paroled from Vicksburg. This organization was designated as the Third Arkansas Consolidated Infantry. It was intended that the regiment be mounted, but only a small portion did so, serving in Brigadier General Thomas P. Dockery’s cavalry brigade, Fagan’s Division. The remaining dismounted portion served in the infantry regiment commanded by Colonel H. G. P. Williams.
The mounted portion of the Fifteenth Arkansas fought at the Action at Mount Elba in Arkansas on March 30, 1864. It next participated in fighting at Poison Spring on April 18, 1864, and Marks’ Mills on April 25. In October, it participated in Major General Sterling Price’s ill-fated Missouri Raid. No casualty reports are present for these engagements. The dismounted portion of the Third Consolidated Regiment fought at the Engagement at Jenkins’ Ferry on April 29–30, 1864. Commonly referred to as Williams Dismounted Casuals, the remnant of the Fifteenth in this unit fought on the extreme left flank of the Confederate lines, across Cox Creek, where it suffered numerous casualties. It was driven back by superior forces as it attempted to flank the Union lines engaged on the other side of the creek with the main Confederate force.
The remnant of the regiment saw no fighting for the remainder of the war and was stationed at Marshall, Texas, when General Kirby Smith surrendered the department on May 26, 1865. Ordered to Shreveport, Louisiana, to receive their paroles, the regiment did not report but simply disbanded without formally surrendering. Most individually journeyed to their homes, receiving their paroles at various locations along the way.
When reorganized, the following regimental officers were elected:
The soldiers of the regiment were declared exchanged in September 1862, and the regiment was reorganized at Jackson, Mississippi, on October 16, 1862 and assigned to Beall's Brigade, Department of Mississippi and East Louisiana.
At the reorganization in 1862, four Arkansas companies which had originally been assigned to the 40th Tennessee Infantry Regiment were added to the unit to give the legally required ten companies for a regiment. The companies were reorganized as follows:
Wikipedia
Crute - Units of the Confederate States Army
Sifakis - Compendium of the Confederate Armies